Sometimes a finger is just a finger

December 7, 2023 11:27 AM

Guardian: “As a BBC licence payer I demand more of this type of behaviour.” Huffington Post: “Undeterred by the faux pas, the newscaster simply composed herself and began reading from the autocue about the latest updates in the Boris Johnson Covid inquiry. Fortunately for Maryam, the moment took place when the UK feed was showing Prime Minister’s Questions, so only international viewers saw the moment play out live.” CBS News: “Maryam Moshiri, the chief presenter at the British network, said she was "joking around a bit with the team" when she stuck up her middle finger just as the broadcast went to air.” In the Metro, further BBC news mishaps.
posted by Wordshore (23 comments total)

“In 2016, BBC presenters apologised after the broadcaster’s breakfast programme showed footage of a gorilla instead of Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.”

I demand more of this type of post.
posted by Bella Donna at 11:31 AM on December 7, 2023 [5 favorites]

When did the middle finger (which I thought was US-centric) start replacing the V-sign in the UK?
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:52 AM on December 7, 2023 [5 favorites]

I wouldn't say it's replaced it so much as given us an extra option.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:13 PM on December 7, 2023 [17 favorites]

Odd or even.
posted by Horkus at 12:21 PM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

Having watched more than a few news blooper reels on YouTube, I feel like this is far from the worst thing any news presenter has ever done live on the air. It surprises me that anyone thinks this is a big deal.
posted by briank at 12:36 PM on December 7, 2023 [4 favorites]

I wouldn't say it's replaced it so much as given us an extra option.

That's a better way of stating it, but my question still remains - when did folks in the UK start using the American finger?
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:38 PM on December 7, 2023

The middle finger is not solely an American thing. See this article . Certainly the middle finger has been a thing in the UK for my entire life. We just have the two fingers as a bonus swear
posted by Cannon Fodder at 12:42 PM on December 7, 2023 [7 favorites]

One nice (though untrue) story about the V-sign is that it originated among the English archers at Agincourt. It's said the French had threatened to cut off any captured Englishmen's bow fingers so they could no longer draw back the string of what was then the world's deadliest artillery weapon. The archers still on the battlefield responded by waving these two fingers at the French to remind them the next shower of arrows would be on its way soon.
posted by Paul Slade at 1:19 PM on December 7, 2023 [6 favorites]

The most wholesome middle finger since Mr. Rogers.
posted by Nelson at 1:19 PM on December 7, 2023 [5 favorites]

Having spent part of my career in the broadcasting & production industries, and privy to the private joke/outtakes/bloopers reels that circulate therein... agreed - this is absolutely nothing.

I love her expression. It's perfect. Screengrab saved.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:25 PM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

If this doesn't make it into Private Eye, then the world is broken.
posted by chavenet at 1:44 PM on December 7, 2023 [2 favorites]

The presenter got her game face on in record time. She should get a raise. I’d get the giggles for sure.
posted by BeeDo at 2:02 PM on December 7, 2023 [7 favorites]

Burgundy Broadcasting Corporation
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:33 PM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you want to see a similar BBC mishap but with less aplomb, Tomasz Schafernaker, weatherman, has you covered.

And then there's the classic case of Guy Goma who was applying for an IT job at the BBC; but was mistaken for Guy Kewney, technology journalist, and was questioned live on air about the Apple Corps v. Apple Computer court case.
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 4:33 PM on December 7, 2023 [2 favorites]

... with less aplomb, Tomasz Schafernaker, weatherman ...

I bet that guy always loses at poker.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:36 PM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

I briefly had the nickname "rotisserie" due to the regularity with which I would flip the bird.
posted by phooky at 6:33 PM on December 7, 2023 [2 favorites]

Hey-oooooh!
*rimshot*
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:43 PM on December 7, 2023

“The Romans had their own name for it: digitus impudicus - the shameless, indecent or offensive finger.”

Christ, how have I lived 59 years without knowing this?
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:29 PM on December 7, 2023 [5 favorites]

Clearly you don't think about the Roman Empire often enough.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:39 PM on December 7, 2023 [9 favorites]

digitus impudicus

... will be adopted as a Metafilter user name in five, four...
posted by Paul Slade at 12:21 AM on December 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

Maryam is a neighbour of ours, shares a social-media channel with my wife, and is mortified by all this attention.
posted by Hogshead at 5:35 AM on December 8, 2023 [9 favorites]

Better not let her watch this week's Have I Got News For You, then.
posted by Paul Slade at 7:45 AM on December 9, 2023

If you want to see the V-sign, then the fuller (mostly not-shown-on-TV) clip is available, which gives some context.
posted by Wordshore at 3:33 AM on December 16, 2023 [1 favorite]